According to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times the Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously last month to give themselves a 10 percent raise in November of 2008.
Under state law, council members are allowed to raise their salaries 5 percent a year, and their last raises went into effect in 2006, said Julie Clark, the city’s human resource director, as she discussed why the 10 percent figure was picked. “Whatever small increase there is, is to me very worthwhile,” Mayor Bud Lewis said Wednesday. “Just preparing for a council meeting … takes the whole weekend.”
What this means is if they’d given themselves any larger of a raise it would have been illegal. Aside from all the perks of being a big power swinger in local politics City Council members really don’t make all that much. After their raise next year they’ll make $17k a year.
We’ve always wondered what would happen if a City Council was outrageously well compensated; paid so well that they would have the independence to make decisions that really were in the best, long-term interest of the community. But that would never work, would it?
[Link: North County Times]
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The $17,544 a year is what is shown on paper…
Along with their salary, they receive:
• Up to $600 a month extra for participation in other city boards.
• A car allowance of $350 a month. (Bud receives $450 a month)
• A monthly cell phone allowance of $45.
• A very generous health care and retirement plan.
Atleast we know they are working hard on what they have so obviously set out to do because destroying what makes Carlsbad beautiful is a big job…
…unfortunately they are succeeding!!!
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